Donald Trump’s disruption is the Brexit moment that will end elitism in America

10/25/2016
Anant Goel & Alan Kyle Goel

Politicians, both Democratic and Republicans, are leading the US, a great nation, into a disastrous path to financial implosion. Not only that, it looks we have become a nation of weaklings that apologize to people, groups and nations that drug our youth, kill our citizens, take away our jobs, compromise our value system, take advantage of our laws of freedom of speech and human rights, and abuse our immigration laws.

Donald Trump came into the political arena, and blowing his own trumpet he created a hurricane that made the others come together and also attracted the multitude like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. He came, disrupted and created a new reality… that 'Disruption' is the in-thing. As we have learned over the last 30 years, the real creators are disrupters; and it is this disruption that marks Donald Trump. And that is why despite his outrageous views; Donald Trump represents hope to millions of Americans. There is much more to the US elections than just Trumpism. The Republican nominee’s unstoppable, brazen statements may have set the media on fire, but the sheer frenzy around the elections has shifted focus from the real issues concerning the economy, national security and America’s place as the world superpower.

Just recently, the Republican Party turned its back on Donald Trump, after he won the hard fought primary election to become its nominee, and the party elite are denying their support to prevent Trump from getting into the White House.

This is just more proof that our political system is broken. Whether you like Trump or not the people are speaking volumes and our elected officials are doing whatever they can to go against the people to cover their own self interest. Every American should be asking what our elected officials are trying to hide from the people to go to the lengths which they are to keep one of their own puppets in office.

During two-week trip across US cities and discussions with members of think tanks, bankers and diplomats, America presented a different picture than a decade ago. Creaking infrastructure, significant numbers of homeless people on the streets, the rise of slums in cities, and above all, that sinking feeling in people’s mind ─ the only superpower in the world is experiencing a massive disruption. Donald Trump has lent his face to it.

The most striking feature of the current elections is the rise of protectionism, which is huge for a nation that epitomizes capitalism and a free market economy. A large section of society believes the New Economy helped only a few who continue to thrive, irrespective of the regime in Washington DC. Realities on the ground support that belief. According to official records, nearly 7.2 million American manufacturing jobs disappeared ─ over 40% of the entire manufacturing workforce ─ from its peak in early 80’s. In the same period, as many as 60,000 factories, small and big, either shut or shifted operations to China or Mexico. People who’ve found themselves on the wrong side of these policies expect 'someone' to protect them.

“Someone” is naturally the government. Two politicians who promised to bring back protectionism received huge response─ Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump. Bernie, a social democrat, struck a chord with his argument that, “This is a rigged economy which works only for the rich and powerful.” His consistent attack on Wall Street echoed in many minds. Sanders’ efforts to bring in legislation to break up “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions made him all the more popular among the middle and lower middle classes. Sanders also refused donations from large corporate houses. But even after winning 23 primaries, Sanders withdrew in favor of Hillary Clinton.

It hasn’t helped Clinton. Many held Big Money responsible for Bernie’s withdrawal and blamed Clinton for “forcing” him to give up the race and rigging the election against Bernie, as disclosed by WiKiLeaks. His withdrawal caused many Americans to criticize Clinton, whom they think is an “insider”, part of the establishment. For decades, the US has been ruled by Ivy League members and the rich and wealthy connected to Wall Street─ Clinton is perceived as one of them, representing the policies of the last 28 years, and so, the status quo.

Globalization has converted the US into a “fly-over” economy. Development in the last few years has been confined to the East and West coasts, leaving mid-lands in the lurch. Formerly known as the Rust Belt, Philadelphia, Ohio, Wisconsin, parts of Illinois, etc., have been witnessing a slow death, thanks to the decline of US coal, steel and manufacturing. American leadership in the White House consistently ignored this region and the problems faced by its people. There is a clear feeling that no one, including the media, is interested in listening to hard-working Americans.

This sets the stage for a character like Trump. More than a person, Trump represents a phenomenon that’s disrupting established political ecosystems world over.

A complete outsider, Trump has no baggage, telling people how the rich are getting richer in the current environment. Trump’s success lies in his ability to tag Hillary to this “rich getting richer” syndrome. The poor view Trump as their weapon to get back at the system that robbed them. He sympathizes with the poor and middle class by blaming the establishment for even war deaths.

Through the course of the past year, Donald Trump has positioned himself as the flag bearer for people who inhabit what they believe is a country within a country.

This other country isn’t big enough to elect Trump. But it’s plenty big enough to sustain the final act of his career. That’s why the second presidential debate seemed less like an audition for office and more like a transition to his new role─ the media star as provocateur and independent prosecutor of the rigged and totally corrupt system.

Hillary Clinton may win this battle, but will she win the war?

[November 9, 2016 Update: Donald Trump won the presidential election and was nominated President Elect of the United States]

Clinton’s campaign slogan, “Stronger Together,” is meant as a direct contrast to Trump’s broad brush divisiveness and race-baiting. And it’s a welcome tonic, as far as it goes. The problem is that it doesn’t go very far… and is losing its bite in view of Trump aggressively defining his bolder national security, immigration, economic, and foreign policies.

Trump is the only man in this political arena today that has what it take to shake things up and break the barriers to doing what needs to be done. All the things that party elites claim─ some true and some downright fabrications, to be negative aspects of Trump, in fact what are needed to shake things up and break the chains of "status quo" and "interest groups" in Washington.

Even Republicans find it difficult to cope with Trump. He represents the extremist viewpoint that is rising in many democracies across the world. Many, especially from the banking sector, view that Republican Trump wants the US to walk out of all international commitments since those are affecting the American economy. Trump feels these international agreements are skewed against US interests. Peeved because of the ongoing economic crisis, many have started believing him… and rightfully so.

This explains his vast support base, despite being in the news for all the wrong reasons. Every media expose helps him reach out to more people before whom he successfully portrays the media as “pro-establishment”. This is another interesting facet of the US elections─ media is seen as a third player in the race.

It makes the US elections a case of one versus the rest. The situation is unique ─ there wasn’t an instance where one of the Presidential hopefuls refused to play by the rule book. Trump has thrown caution to the wind by rattling the entire political establishment. Considering the upper hand Democrats have in the Electoral College, it’s highly unlikely that Trump may emerge winner. But even in defeat, the issues raised by him will set the agenda for the winning candidate. He has aroused a large section of the population and pitted it against the establishment. This could well be America’s Brexit moment that marks the end of elitism.

Politics will not be the same again in the US.

Embrace and celebrate Trump, for he is the only man for the job today to shake things-up and help Make America Great Again!

[Curated content based on excerpts from posts, blogs, media articles, and sponsored research]